Tool post grinder support with universal angular adjustment



Oct. 10, 1961 w. H. HUNT 3,

TOOL POST GRINDER SUPPORT WITH UNIVERSAL ANGULAR ADJUSTMENT Original Filed Aug. 8, 1957 INVENIOR. W.H. H UNT United States Patent 3 003,295 TOOL POSI GRlNDEll SUPPORT WITH UNIVER- SAL ANGULAR ADJUSTMENT William Harvey Hunt, 2705 B Ave., National City, Calif. Substituted for abandoned application Ser. No. 676,978, Aug. 8, 1957. This application Aug. 17, 1959, Ser.

3 Claims. (Cl. 51-259) This invention relates to a support for a grinding apparatus of the type commonly used in conjunction with a machine tool and more particularly to an adjustable support on which the grinding wheel may be supported in a variety of positions relative to the workpiece.

'In machine tool operations, particularly engine lathe operations, it is customary to mount a grinding apparatus, commonly known as a tool post grinder, on the machine for the purpose of grinding the surface of a workpiece mounted in the machine. The grinder is usually mounted on a vertical post having its lower end secured to the compound rest of the lathe and on which the grinder is adjustably secured for movement axially therealong to adjust the height of the grinding wheel relative to the workpiece. Sometimes provision is also made to adjust the grinder in a horizontal plane and often these adjustments in position which are obtainable with the usual support are sufl'icient to perform the average grinding operation. However, by providing a support which permits angular adjustment of the grinding wheel in both horizontal and vertical planes, the number of operations which may be performed with the grinder are greatly increased.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a support for a tool post grinder which provides for adjustment of the grinding wheel in both horizontal and vertical planes relative to the center line of the machine on which it is mounted.

A further object is to provide a support which may be easily installed on and removed from a machine tool.

Another object is to provide a support as above described which is of simple and inexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide a grinding apparatus support having means for indicating the angle at which the grinding wheel is inclined in a vertical plane relative to the center line of the machine tool.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a tool post grinder supported on my novel support connected to a compound rest on an engine lathe and arranged to grind a milling cutter supported between the centers of the lathe.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the tool post grinder and support shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the support in section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

This application is a substitute for my prior abandoned application Serial No. 676,978, filed August 8, 1957.

Referring to the drawing, a tool post grinder having an electric motor provided with a pulley 11 secured to the shaft 12 is provided with a bracket 13 which is pivotally secured to a bracket 14 by means of a bolt 15 passing therethrough. Bracket 14 is an integral part of a projecting portion 16 of a casing 17 in which a spindle 18 is rotatably supported. One end of spindle 18 is arranged for attachment of a grinding wheel 19 thereto and the other end is provided with a pulley 20 secured thereto which is driven by a belt 21 passing therearound and around pulley 11 to rotate spindle 18 and grinding wheel 19 at high speed. A vertical post 22 comprising a long bolt 23 having an enlarged head adapted to fit in the horizontal T slot 25 of a compound rest 26 of a lathe (not shown) and a threaded upper end 27 pro vided with a similarly threaded nut 28 has a long vertical sleeve 29 surrounding bolt 23. Sleeve 29 is provided with a flange 30 at its lower end in engagement with the upper surface of compound rest 26 so that by tightening nut 28 head 24 of bolt 23 is drawn upwardly in slot 25 against rest 26 and flange 30 is pressed down against rest 26 to thereby securely clamp port 22 to rest 26. Surrounding sleeve 29 is a collar 31 which is slidable axially along sleeve 29 and rotatable about the axis thereof and which is secured in any desired adjusted position by means of a set screw 32 of known type. Extending outwardly from collar 31 and having one end secured thereto as by welding is a pivot shaft 33 the axis of which is positioned in a plane substantially horizontal and normal to the axis of post 22. Projecting portion 16 of spindle casing 17 is provided with a cylindrical opening 34 adapted to slidably receive shaft 33 so that casing 17 and motor 10 are supported thereon. The position of spindle using 17 and spindle 18 is adjustable on shaft 33 by rotational movement about the axis thereof, the motor and spindle assembly being secured in adjusted position by means of a set screw 35 whose inner end seats against shaft 33 (see FIG. 3). Attached to projecting portion 16 of casing 17 by means of bolts 36 is an indicating arm 37 which is movable with casing 17 upon rotation thereof about the axis of shaft 33, arm 37 being provided with a reference mark 38. A quadrant 39 secured to shaft 33 inclose proximity to indicating arm 37 is provided with angle indicia so that as casing 17 is rotated about the axis of shaft 33, the angular position of spindle 18 in a vertical plane is indicated by the position of reference mark 38 on indicia 40. As may be seen, the support permits ad justment of the position of grinding wheel 19 to a variety of positions for performing various grinding operations not possible with a tool post grinder having the conventional support. Vertical movement of collar 31 axially along post 22 adjusts the height of wheel 19 relative to the center line of the machine tool and rotational movement of collar 31 about the axis of post 22 adjusts the position of spindle 18 and wheel 19 to a desired angle in a horizontal plane. Rotational movement of casing 17 about the axis of shaft 33 permits adjustment of spindle 18 and wheel 19 to the desired angular position in a vertical plane relative to the centerline of the machine in the manner shown by phantom lines 46.

To illustrate a grinding operation which can be accomplished with a tool post grinder supported on a lathe by my novel support, a milling cutter 41 is shown sup ported on a mandrel 42 which is supported between the centers 43 and 44 of a lathe (not shown) for the purpose of grinding the cutting edges of the teeth 45 thereof. Grinding wheel 19 is adjusted to the proper height to engage teeth 45 by movement of collar 31 axially along post 22 and the position of the wheel is adjusted to the proper angle in a horizontal plane relative to cutter 41 by rotating collar 31 about the axis of post 22. Wheel 19 is then adjusted to angular position in a vertical plane relative to cutter 41 so that the angle at which the wheel engages the teeth 45 will grind the teeth with the proper amount of relief at the cutting edges thereof. This last named adjustment is effected by first loosening set screw 35, rotating casing 17 the desired angle about the horizontal axis of shaft 33 and then tightening set screw 35 to lock the parts in adjusted position. The grinding attachment is then moved along parallel to the centerline of the lathe by movement of compound rest 26 horizontally in a known manner to g a 3 thereby move wheel 19 along teeth 45 to perform the grinding operation.

The foregoing is but one example of the many grinding operations whichmay betperformed with an ordinary tool post grinder when mounted on my novel support and to those skilled in the art of machine tool work the illustration will suggest numerous other uses for a grinder provided with this support.

This invention may be embodied in other forms or carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment of the invention is therefore to be considered illustrative and not restrictive.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for rotatably supporting a grinding wheel on the supporting table of a machine tool comprising, in combination: a long vertical metal sleeve having a long top portion whose peripheral face is cylindrical; clamping means constructed to retain the bottom of said sleeve in position ,on top of said table with the axis of said sleeve vertical; a collar having an interior wall which is entirely circular and which fits over said cylindrical peripheral face and is slidable and freely rotatable thereon; clamping means carried by" said collar and con: structed to lock said collar' and retian said collar at any desired height and angular position on the top portion of said sleeve; a cylindrical pivot shaft extending horizontally from the rear portion of said collar; a casing having a cylindrical bearing face in contact with said pivot shaft and rotatable thereon; screw threaded means con-' structed to lock said casing at any desired angular position on said pivot shaft; a power driven shaft rotatably supported in said casing; and a grinding wheel secured to one end of said power driven shaft.

2. Grinding wheel supporting means as claimed in claim 1, in which a quadrant having angle indicating indicia thereon is secured to the rear portion of said collat; and an indicating arm is secured against the front face of said casing at a region adjacent said pivot shaft, said indicating arm having a reference mark which rotates closely adjacent said angle indicating indicia to V 4 a indicate the inclination of said power driven shaft as said casing is rotated about the axis of'said pivot shaft.

3. Means for rotatably supporting a grinding wheel on the supporting table of a machine tool comprising, in combination; a vertical metal sleeve having a long top portion whose'peripheral face is cylindrical; clamping means constructed to retain the bottom of said sleeve against the top of said supporting table; an expansible collar having an interior wall 'whichis entirely circular and which fits against said cylindrical peripheral face and is freely slidable and rotatable thereon; screw threaded means passing through said collar and constructed to lock said collar and retain said collar at any desired height and angular position on the top portion of said sleeve; a cylindrical pivot shaft integral with said collar and extending horizontally therefrom; a casing having a long cylindrical bearing face in contact with said pivot shaft and rotatable thereon; screw threaded means passing through said casing and constructed to engage said pivot shaft and lock said casing at any desired angular position thereon; a driven shaft journaled in said casing; a grinding wheel attached to one end of said driven shaft; a driven pulley secured to the opposite end of said driven shaft; a bracket integral with said casing and projecting outward therefrom; an electric motor provided with a projecting bracket having an end portion constructed to fit against the end portion of said first named bracket; securing means passing through the end portions of said brackets and constructed to retain the shaft of said electric motor parallel to said driven shaft; a drive pulley secured to the shaft of said motor; and a flexible drive belt passing around said drive and driven pulleys. 1

References Cited in the file of this'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

